Food Science Degree in Thornton, CO — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Thornton, CO. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$51K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$80K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.9 yrs
in Thornton
Cost of Living
102.5
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Thornton, CO Overview
Thornton, Colorado (pop. 141,867) has 6 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 102.5 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $1,335/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Thornton is approximately $51,250, growing to $79,950 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
6
Public Tuition
$12,200/yr
Private Tuition
$38,000/yr
Room & Board
$14,219/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,102/yr
Unemployment
2.9%
Graduation Rate
67%
Food Science Salary in Thornton (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Thornton's cost of living index of 102.5 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Thornton adjustment factor: 1.02x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Thornton
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Thornton tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $12,200 | Private avg: $38,000
Thornton avg aid: $8,102/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$105,676
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$15,375
vs HS diploma in Thornton
ROI Payback Period
6.9 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Thornton
$386,324
Lifetime earnings premium ($492,000) minus total education cost ($105,676)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Thornton
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Thornton for Food Science
Thornton State University
public
$11,406/yr
$45,624 total
University of Thornton
public
$12,917/yr
$51,668 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Thornton Community College
$5,632/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Thornton
Thornton offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Thornton Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Colorado Cities
Denver, CO
$64K starting · COL 128
31 colleges
Colorado Springs, CO
$61K starting · COL 122
22 colleges
Aurora, CO
$56K starting · COL 111
28 colleges
Fort Collins, CO
$63K starting · COL 126
5 colleges
Lakewood, CO
$53K starting · COL 105.8
6 colleges
Arvada, CO
$53K starting · COL 105.5
5 colleges
Westminster, CO
$52K starting · COL 103.8
5 colleges
Pueblo, CO
$61K starting · COL 122
13 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Thornton
Prompt Engineering
$51K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$97K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$87K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$90K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$84K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$51K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$82K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$51K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Thornton — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Food Science ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Thornton.